Train indicating apparatus



July 14, 1931. E. E. PARRILL 1,314,406

TRAIN INDICATING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 8. 1929 M Q h; j

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TIJVENTOR: E. E} Err/ ll I I I I Z a-zL-W l l l l l k Patented July 14, 1931 PATENT OFFICE nasmo n. rAnnrLnjor nnenwoon BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, YASSIGNOR- TO THE UNIoNswI'rcH & SIGNAL COMPANY, or swIssvAL'n, PENNSYLVANIA, A oonronA TION OF PENNSYLVANIA TRA N INnIcATING APPARATUS Application filed November 8, 1929, Serial No. 405,550; Renewed February 6, 1931.

My invention relates to train indicating. apparatus, and particularly to train graph apparatus for recording the presence of a train at a remote point. p w

One feature of my invention is the provision of means for controlling train graph apparatus over the switch control-wires for remote control apparatus such, for example,

as isshown and described in the pending patent application by James J. Vanhorn, Serial No. 357,013, filed April 22, 1929.

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims. c

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view, showing one form of apparatus embodying my invention. 7

Referring to the drawing, reference characters 1 and l designate the track rails of a stretch Y of main railway track connected with a siding Z by means of a switch F. Switch F may be operated to one position or the other by any suitable means such, for example, as an electric motor. Switch F, when in its normal position as shown, directs trafiic over stretch'Y only, and when reversed, directs traffic over stretch Y to or from siding Z. A contact 20 is operated in conjunction with switchF, and is closed at all times except for abrief period ust after the beginning and a second brief period just before the end of each operation of switch F from one extreme position to the other. I I I A section C-D is insulated from adjoining portions of stretch Y and of'siding Zby means of insulated joints 2. This section is provided with a track circuit which includes a battery 3 connected across the rails adjacent one end of the section, and a track relay. R connected across the rails adjacent the opposite end of the section.

The circuits for operating switch F to its reverse and'its normal positions are controlled by contacts 159 and 159?, respectively, of a slow releasing polarized relay G but since they form no part of mypresent invention these circuits are omitted from the levers in some suitable location such, for 'BX- ample, as a train dispatchers office.

I Lever V has a normal position a and a reverse position 1*, and operates contacts I l and 146 :wh1ch are closed when lever V is in its a or its 7' position, respectively.

An indication relay Gr is controlled by a circuit which comprises the windings of re-- lays G and G circuit controller contact 20, and a front contact 17 of track relay R in series. polarity is supplied to this circuit by abattery Q or by a battery Q}, through contacts 1% or 14:6, respectively, of lever V releasing relay 9 is controlled by relay G An indicator lamp 6 is located adjacent lever V Lamp 6 is controlled by relay G and indicates the operation of switch-F by becoming unlighted momentarily upon the opening of switch contact 20 at the ,beginning andv at the end of the operation of switch F. Lamp 6 by being unlighted, for a longer period of time also indicates when contact 17 of relay R is open due to the presence of a train in section C-D.

The parts of the apparatus thus far de scribed are also shown and described with;

similar reference characters in the pending application by James J. Vanhorn, Serial No.357,013, filed April 22, 1929, and already referred to.

My invention provides a circuit for controlling train graph apparatus U by contact 253 of relay 9 and contacts 255 and 256 which are operated by lever V Contact 255, like contact 14, is closed when lever V is in its a position only,and contact 256, like contact 146, is closed when lever V is in itsr position only. Train graph apparatus U may be of a well known type which records on a chart the period during which a train occupies a given stretch of track as, for example at a station. I

As shown in the drawing, all parts are in their normal condition, that is, section CD is unoccupied, switch F is in its normal position, and lever V is in its a position.

Current of normal or of reverse A slow-- With lever V in its a position, relay G is energized in the normal direction by its circuit passing from battery Q}, through wires 10 and 13, contact 14 of lever V wire 15, winding of relay G wire 16, contact 17 of relay R winding of relay G switch contact 20, and wires 56 and 33 back to battery Q}. Relay G is thus also energized. lyith elay G n rg zed, l mp @2 is lighted by its eiifi Pas i fr m batt y 3 thr llsll wires 10 and 29, contact 31' of relay G wire 32, lamp e and wire 33 back to battery Q}.

. With relay G energized, relay 9 is also en- G and G ergized by its circuit passing from battery Q through wires 1.0 and29, contact25 of relay G wire 26, winding of relay g, and wire 251 back to battery Q}.

I will assume that the dispatcher desires to reverse switch F. He therefore moves lever V to its 1 position, thereby causing current of reverse polarity to be supplied to relays .G and G by battery Q through contact 1&6 of lever V and the circuit previously traced from contact 14 of leverl to battery Q}. \Vith relay G energized in the reverse direction, switch F is operated to its reverse position by current controlled by contact 159 of relay G During the open periods of contact just after the beginning and just before the end of the operation of switch F to its reverse position, relay G becomes de-energi'zed, opening its contact 31 and causing lamp 6 to be extinguished momentarily. Contact of relay G also opens in response to the open periods of switch contact 20, but relay g, being slowreleasing, does not drop its contact 253.

Then the dispatcher returns switch F to its normal position by moving lever V to its a position, relays G and G again become energized by current of normal polarity flowing in the circuit previously traced. Contact 20 is opened momentarily just after the beginning and just before the end of the operation of switch F. in the same manner as when switch F was operated from its normal to its reverse position. Relay Gr is thus de-energized momentarily and lamp 0 is extinguished momentarily, in response to this operation of contract 20. Relay g, as before, does not, however,'drop its contact 253.

hen a train enters section CD, relay R becoming tie-energized, opens its contact 17, thus breaking the circuit through relays Relay G is now de-energized long enough tocause relay 9 to close its back contact 253. The operating circuit for train graph apparatus U' is thus completed, pas ing from battery Q through wires 10, 29 and 252, contact 253 of relay 9, wire 25 1, contact 255 of lever V wire 257, train graph apparatus U, and wire 251 back to battery Q Apparatus U then begins marking on its chart to indicate the presence .of a train in section C-D, and continues to so mark its chart until the train has moved out of section C-D, permitting relay R to again close its contact 17 and so complete the circuit for relays G and G With relay G again energized, relay 9 becomes energized by its ,circuit previously traced, and, by opening its contact 253, tie-energizes train graph apparatus U which then ceases marking it liart W10 i. l e V is i it r re ifiib th circ t for t in graph apparat U includes a branch path around contact 255 of lever V through contact 256 of lever V Each train which passes through section CD causes the operation of train graph appa atu U a jes dese te It should be noted that if lever V is moved slowly from its n to its 1' position, .or conversely, or if it is left for a considerable period .of time in someintermediate position, causing relay G to be de-energized, the .operating circuit for train graph apparatus U is open atcontacts 255 and 256 thus meanwhile preventing the operation of apparatus U. Relay G? becomes energized again when lever V is moved to its n or its 21 position, and hence also relay 9 becomes energized opening the circuit for train graph apparatus U at contact 253. It is thus clear that apparatus comprising my inyention causes train graph apparatus U to make a true record of train occupancy of section Although I have herein shown and de scribed only one form of train indicating apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may bemade therein within the scope of the appended claims without dcparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim is:'

1. In combination, a railway track switch, a manually operable device, an indication relay, a control circuit for said switch including said indication relay and controlled by said device, a slow-release relay controlled by said indication relay, and indica tion means controlled by said device and by said slow-release relay.

2. In combination, a railway track switch, a manually operable lever having a normal and a reverse position, an indication relay, a control circuit for said switch including said indication relay and energized when said lever is in its normal or its reverse po-' sition only, a slow-release relay controlled by said indication relay, and train graph apparatus set into operation when said slow-- release relay is open provided s aid lever is inits normal or its reverse position.

3. In combination, a railway track switch, a manually operable lever, an indication re lay, a cont rolcircuit for said switch including said indication relay and energized when said lever is in one of certain positions only, a slow-release relay controlled by said indication relay, and train graph apparatus controlled by said slow-release relay when said lever is in a position for energizing said control circuit.

4-. In combination, a railway track switch, a manually operable lever, an indication relay, a control circuit for said switch including said indication relay and controlled by said lever, a slow-release relay controlled by said indication relay, train graph apparatus, and a control circuit for said train graph apparatus controlled by said lever and by a back contact of said slow-release relay.

5. In combination, a railway track switch, a manually operable lever, an indication relay, a control circuit for said switch controlled by said lever and including said indication relay, means controlled by said switch for at times momentarily opening said circuit, means controlled by traific conditions for at times opening said circuit for a longer period, and train graph apparatus controlled by said lever and by said indication relay and responsive to the open periods of said indication relay caused by trafiic conditions but not responsive to the open periods of said indication relay caused by said switch.

6. In combination, a railway track switch, a manually operable lever, an indication relay, a control circuit for said switch controlled by said lever and including said indication relay, means controlled by said switch for at times momentarily opening said circuit, means controlled by traffic conditions for at times opening said circuit for a longer period, a slow-release relay controlled by said indication relay and responsive to the open periods of said indication relay as caused by traflic conditions but not responsive to the open periods of said indication relay as caused by said switch, and train graph apparatus controlled by said lever and by said slow-release relay.

7. In combination, an indication means controlled by a railway traffic governing de vice and by traffic conditions, a second indication means controlled by said first indication means and responsive to said first indication means when said first indication means is operated as controlled by traffic conditions but not when said first indication means is operated as controlled by said traffic governing device, manually operable means, and means controlled by said manually operable means for at times removing said first indication means from the control of said second indication means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EASTON E. PARRILL. 

